I got this email from Matt that I wanted to share with you. Mostly because I want you to see that it works. Yes, all of it.
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Hi Brian,
My name is Matt, and I am a newly minted PA-C as of today. I wanted to reach out to you to thank you for all the help you and your show gave me over the last 3 years of my journey. I graduated from my undergraduate program and started PA school only 3 days later. To put it lightly, I was far from a stellar student. I found myself struggling almost immediately, and eventually ended up on academic probation for my first 2 semesters. After changing some of my study tactics and fixing some personal problems at home, that all changed.
One of the biggest drivers to improve was your show. Listening to the podcasts going to and from school made my commuting time actually mean something. I really started listening to your show in the 3rd semester of our didactic portion. I went from a 2.98 GPA second semester to a 3.5 in the third, and a great deal of it was because of the information you gave me in those shows. I continued listening to the podcasts throughout my clinical year. Aside from one small hiccup, I crushed all of my end of rotation exams, my PACKRAT, and every assignment we were given. This carried over into our final didactic semester this past summer when we took our comprehensive exam.
Unfortunately, I failed one portion of the written comprehensive exam by a single point. This required a retest, and I was therefore a late finisher. At the time I felt like a failure. I felt like I had turned everything around, only to falter at the last moment. But I turned back to your podcasts. I listened to the end of each session when you talked about study tactics, scheduling, and perseverance. So I persevered, passes the retest, and decided to take PANCE a week and a half before it was originally scheduled for.
I waited 11 long days, but today I learned I am officially Matt, PA-C. I cannot thank you enough for the countless hours of free tutoring you gave me in my car, and the pep talks you gave me without even knowing it. There were so many people who made this journey possible, but you were among the most important in my eyes. I hope you continue to make your podcasts because so many of us appreciate them (even if we appreciate them too silently). I thank you, and numerous other members of my class of thank you for everything you do for our profession.
Well wishes,
Matt, PA-C
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The lesson in this one is that there’s a method to the way I do things. There’s a system behind how I study and how I learn. There’s a system behind how I take tests. I got through PA school writing and answering my own questions. I got a number of my classmates through PA school by sharing those questions. Eventually, those same questions became The Final Step – the 1,200 question book I wrote to get myself through the PANRE.
If you’re struggling with overall concepts, then please listen to the PAER podcast.
But, if you’re struggling with retention or test taking, get yourself a copy of The Final Step.
Brian Wallace